Appoint Afridi as captain for World T20: Inzamam

PCB should not waste anymore time in announcing the name of Shahid Afridi as the captain for the Twenty20 World Cup, feels former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Written by Press Trust of India

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Karachi:

PCB should not waste anymore time in announcing the name of experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the captain for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies next month, feels former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Inzamam, Pakistan's most capped player with over 400 Test and international appearances, said Afridi is country's best player in the shorter format of the game and has time and again proved his mettle.

"He has shown all the qualities required to be a good leader. He is the right choice to lead Pakistan in the World Cup and PCB is only creating more uncertainty by not naming him as the captain. It is creating doubts in everyone's minds," Inzamam said.

He said with the 15-member squad already announced for the World Cup, it makes no sense to delay appointing the captain.

"We have a good T20 outfit and with good captain at the helm of affairs, we stand a fair chance to defend our title successfully," Inzamam added.

Defending champions Pakistan had last week announced their final 15-man squad without naming the captain for the World Twenty20 championship. Chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan had told reporters that the board will name the captain later.

Pakistan cricket had plunged into a turmoil earlier last week when the PCB banned and fined several leading cricketers including former captains Younus Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi.

While Younus and Yousuf were not included in the preliminary squad, Malik had been sidelined because of the one year ban slapped on him for indiscipline. However, Afridi, and Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, were picked by the selectors despite hefty fines imposed on them.

Meanwhile, sources close to the development informed that the board has delayed announcing the captain because they have sought legal opinion on the possible fallout of appointing Afridi as the T20 captain.